Previews

Nanobreaker

Spiffy:

Iffy:

Possibly a bit too repetitive; the Matrix-esque storyline of man vs. machine is a bit cliché at this point.

Upon initially seeing Nanobreaker at the Konami press conference, I was excited to check out what exactly it was. Why? Koji Igarashi, the producer of Castlevania: Lament of Innocence was headlining the project.

Firstly, a short description of the story: Not unlike the future world of The Matrix, Nanobreaker is set in a universe where man is battling against the very machines he created. Originally designed to aid humankind in struggles with famine, disease, and an occasional war or two, the "nanomachines" have begun to revolt, refusing to be dictated to by mere mortals. Thus, they begin to feed on the blood of man and mine the metal of buildings to construct hideous abominations -- think of varied, futuristic versions of Frankenstein, only faster, stronger, and sleeker. To put it simply, it's not a pleasant place to be.

Whatever is the human race to dor Well, thanks to a yet-unnamed character, the world actually has a bit of hope. But it's not the man behind the whip that matters as much as the whip itself. The Plasma Blade is the key to the survival of humankind, being the most potent weapon to combat the nanomachines. But more so than the chained offerings of Castlevania, the Plasma Blade is enhanced by futuristic technologies, allowing it to shape-shifting into a myriad of different things.

However, most of that "shape-shifting" is yet to be seen, as the demo of Nanobreaker provided was pretty early in the game. At this point, it appears to be a moderately paced hack 'n' slash, complete with a horde of dead-on-arrival nano-creatures (which look something like the hybrid children of Silent Hill monsters and Clive Barker beasts, with a little future lore mixed in).

On the show floor, there was a contest for who could spill the most "oil" in ten minutes (translation: each nanomachine killed results in the spilling of oil, which is essentially blood, only a tad darker). As you can imagine, the action gets really repetitive, but this was merely a tech demo designed to showcase the very basic skills of the game.

Graphically, it almost appears as if the new Castlevania engine might have been retrofitted to accommodate the futuristic world. It plays pretty similarly, allowing for pick-up-and-slay ease. But seeing as this title isn't due out until next year, there is still plenty to be said about Nanobreaker.